VIP wristbands: Worth it?

I am considering getting VIP passes for my fiance & myself next year… Was wondering if anyone can share an experience from recent years to give me the REAL pros & cons of the VIP experience… Is it seriously worth it? Thanks, guys!

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

I did two years with and two years without. For me it is worth it IF you can afford it. It is a luxury, not a necessity for enjoying Coachella.

Here is my experience:

CONs:
- $$
- If you are with friend who does not have a VIP pass, he/she cannot get in

PROs:
- Easy in-out venue access for parking & shuttles
- Lots of shade, grass, seating, tables, fountains, gardens & trees
- Clean, well-stocked bathrooms
- Air conditioned tents with full bars, soft seating, and closed circuit coverage of many of the sets
- Adjacency to the Main Stage and The Sahara for live set viewing

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

if i plan on camping, is it still worth it to go have a place to hang out? I mean, we get there pretty early each year & have a close spot in relation to the entrance of the festival, but it gets pretty hot & uncomfortable without a lot of shade and/or AC….

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

There is NO question that a VIP pass is worth every cent the extra money. First of all the weather was well over 100 each day, so the fact that we had shaded tents with couches to cool down in, air conditioned bathrooms, huge bar - no line, grass where you don't get stepped on, amazing food selections, plus easy entrance and exit instead of the huge lines at GA, was AWESOME. i wouldn't do it any other way, in fact, i just bought my VIP passes to Lolla.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

Originally Posted by calforvi

There is NO question that a VIP pass is worth every cent the extra money. First of all the weather was well over 100 each day, so the fact that we had shaded tents with couches to cool down in, air conditioned bathrooms, huge bar - no line, grass where you don't get stepped on, amazing food selections, plus easy entrance and exit instead of the huge lines at GA, was AWESOME. i wouldn't do it any other way, in fact, i just bought my VIP passes to Lolla.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

Originally Posted by calforvi

There is NO question that a VIP pass is worth every cent the extra money. First of all the weather was well over 100 each day, so the fact that we had shaded tents with couches to cool down in, air conditioned bathrooms, huge bar - no line, grass where you don't get stepped on, amazing food selections, plus easy entrance and exit instead of the huge lines at GA, was AWESOME. i wouldn't do it any other way, in fact, i just bought my VIP passes to Lolla.

Keep in mind that at Lolla you get separate, elevated seating for watching the stages, golf cart transportation along Lakeshore, and, most importantly, UNLIMITED BOOZE.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

Originally Posted by amyzzz

Would you buy a VIP pass, Tom?

I still haven't quite figured this out. The easy parking and getting in sure were nice. The VIP lounges in the afternoon were very nice (and probably would have been even more appreciated had it been hot). Is that worth the extra $? gametime decision.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

I had vip for 2011 and ga for 2012. Imo, if you are there for the music, vip is NOT worth it. If you are there to relax in the shade and drink, go for it. In 2011 I was hardly ever in the vip area, other than Sunday in the rose garden for super yummy drinks. My sister spent most of her time in the vip area and enjoyed it (she liked the shade). This year I went without her and as it was weekend 1, I didn't need the shade! I won't waste my money on vip again (unless they add some fantastic perks), I had so much extra for food and merchandise this year! Now Safari Tents, hmmmmmm, maybe someday.....

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

Vip wristband + VIP parking was more than worth it for my group. We had a group of friends who had regular parking and took them like 2 hours to park and get in every day. Us? 10 mins, the long part was just the few minute walk from the parking to the entrance.

Never a line for booze or bathroom in either section. Overpriced food in the sahara vip tho, that was a mistake. Was a great meeting point for our group either by the couches/phone charging station in the main VIP or just the lawn by the fence during the big mainstage acts. We found one of our friends easily who was watching Snoop ahead of us since we stayed at Florence and the machine till it ended.

Always, gonna buy VIP.

Saw that line for booze in the regular beer garden. OMG couldn't deal with that. After we drank our smuggled in booze was always way easy to get more liquor and beer. Huge plus for us lushes.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

I had VIP bands a few years and here's my personal experience:

1- more portapotties than the rest of the field and no lines whatsoever, dare I say even not stink filled by day 2
2- full bar. I had a friend pretty much puke and rally during Tiesto due to the full bar
3- more space to just chill
4- interesting celebrity watching- could John Mayer be any creepier?Ew.

Mostly, I thought that other than the portapotties which seemed mostly unused, it wasn't worth the money. But whatever's important to you, do it.

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

VIP for phone chargers inside the venue, and for beer after 10 pm. I'm still not sure what's going on with the GA beer gardens. In 2011 they closed all of them at 10 am, nearly starting drunken riots all weekend. Last year I got told no at one beer garden after ten, then proceeded to walk into another beer garden on the other side of the field five or ten minutes later. If you're not worried about a dead phone inside the venue, or having a beer or two before the headliner comes on, then there's no reason for a VIP. The fenced off VIP areas near the main stage and the Mojave (or was it Gobi?) have been something of a mean joke directed toward GA. Nearly empty areas where potential fans could be standing. Has anyone seen more then ten or twenty people in the VIP areas next to the stages?

Re: VIP wristbands: Worth it?

I got VIP because I need the shade, I can get heat stroke pretty easily. Also the bathrooms. But I think to each their own. To me it's worth it. I think as I'm getting older, I enjoy the comfortability of VIP whereas if I was in my 20's I would have totally done GA.